


The White Chaos

by Call_Me_Petyr, maranomi, rhaeys, syrax



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Betrayal, Complicated Relationships, F/M, Power Dynamics, Power Play, Queen in the North, Sexual Tension, Sibling Rivalry, The King in The North, Winterfell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2018-12-23 10:55:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11988348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Call_Me_Petyr/pseuds/Call_Me_Petyr, https://archiveofourown.org/users/maranomi/pseuds/maranomi, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhaeys/pseuds/rhaeys, https://archiveofourown.org/users/syrax/pseuds/syrax
Summary: The Battle of the Bastards is won, the Boltons are defeated and Jon Snow is declared King in the North. He rules the North with his sister, Sansa Stark. But the siblings have a different view on ruling. When Jon Snow answers a summon from the Dragon Queen and the long lost Arya Stark and Bran Stark finally return home, chaos starts to fill the cold air of Winterfell. The Master of Chaos, Lord Baelish, uses that chaos to reach for his ultimate goal, getting the support of the oldest Stark daughter who starts to fall deeper and deeper into a pit of love and power, but also into the arms of the man who can give her all she wants.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo!  
> So i'm writing this fanfiction with some friends. We're not satisfied with D&D's version of season 7, and we decided to rewrite the Winterfell part. Be aware we're all Petyr Baelish stans.

_‘Winter is truly here.’,_ Sansa thought. She felt her heart beat fast while thinking about it. She remembered her father. Lord Eddard always promised his children about winter’s arrival. Sansa opened her chamber’s little window to smell the fresh air from the last snow. It felt better than anything at that moment.

Lady Sansa was staying at her parent’s chambers. She loved it’s comfort but yet she always felt sad and alone once she entered it.

There was a gentle knock on her door and she felt afraid for no reason. She was safe here in Winterfell, at her home, but she had been here in Winterfell with the monstrous Boltons too. Then, knocking on the door meant only one thing. Ramsay came back from hunting and he “missed” his Lady. Quickly though she cleared her mind from her torturous past and answered with a low voice.

‘Yes.’

It was Jon. She felt safe. Her half-brother never made her feel anything when they were children, but now she smiled when looking at him. She knew no one could harm her with him.

‘I thought I would find you at the Godswood. You spend your mornings there quite often.’ He smiled.

‘It’s the only place I can find peace. I used to visit it every day when I was a girl. I used to pray. Now I don’t pray.’ There was a short silence. She saw in his eyes that he understood her.

‘So why did you come here?’ Her question broke the silence. He walked into the room.

‘Before the Battle of the Bastards you asked me to listen to you. I didn’t, and I lost the battle. But you came with the army of the Vale. You saved us. We won the battle because of you. If we’d trusted each other, many lives would have been saved. I told you I would trust you now, so I will.’ She smiled a little, this seemed like a good thing.

‘I’m planning on giving Last Hearth and Karhold back to the Umbers and the Karstarks. When the White Walkers come, these will be the first two castles on their path. It’s essential for them to be properly manned.’ _The White Walkers_. It still felt a little unreal. When she was a girl, old nan used to tell them stories about the Long Night, the White Walkers and the Dragons. They were only stories back then, but now the stories had become reality. She never thought real monsters would exist, but that was before Joffrey. While she was a hostage in King’s Landing, she thought that was the worst thing that could possibly happen to a person. But then she was married to Ramsay Bolton, which put things in perspective for her. It can always be worse. She had never seen a White Walker, but the look on Jon’s face spoke volumes.

‘The Umbers and the Karstarks betrayed you. They fought alongside Ramsay.’ Jon nodded.

‘They did. But the castles have belonged to their families for centuries. They’ve kept faith with House Stark generation after generation.’

‘And then they broke faith. You’re right, the castles need to be manned, so why don’t you give them to loyal families, who fought with us against Ramsay.’

‘I will not punish a son for his father’s crimes. And I will not take a family’s home away from a family it has belonged to for centuries.’ He raised his voice, but didn’t yell. He had never yelled at her.

‘So there’s no punishment for treason and no reward for loyalty?’ Jon was quiet for a second, and then gave her an intense stare.

‘While you were a hostage in King’s Landing, the Lannisters punished you for Father’s deeds. I thought you of all people would understand my decision.’ He sighed. Sansa felt the blood drain from her face. They never spoke about their pasts with so many words. They understood each other, what they’ve been through. She never thought he’d use it against her. But he was right. The Lannisters, and especially Joffrey, made her life horrible from the moment they took her father’s head. Joffrey had punished her every time Robb had won a battle. She just then remembered who the lord and lady of the Umbers and Karstarks were. Alys Karstark, a girl of 16 and Ned Umber, a boy of 10. It wasn’t right to blame them for what their fathers did, just like it wasn’t right for the Lannisters to punish her for her father’s sins. She sat down on the bed.

‘You are the king. You asked for my advice and I told you my opinion. But your decision is final.’ He sat down next to her.

‘I told you my plans because I want to trust you. And I want you to agree with me.’ She nodded.

‘You’re right. We need to trust each other, but we need to trust the North as well. Giving the Umbers and Karstarks back their castles shows them we’re on good terms. There are more important things to focus on now.’ Jon smiled, and it seemed genuine.

‘That brings me to my second point. We need to train all the men who are able to fight. When the White Walkers come, we need to be as prepared as we can be. But we don’t have enough men in the North to defeat them.’

‘Are you suggesting we make alliances?’ She frowned.

‘We need alliances, but all the armies are already pledged to one queen or another. A southern lord will never believe us when we tell them about the White Walkers, so they will never join our case. We don’t have to offer them anything.

If we want to stand a change, we need a bigger army. And we can’t win this war if only half of the population is fighting.’

‘You want to train the girls as well?’ She was surprised.

‘Yes. I think that’s the best change we have. If we can’t stop the Army of the Dead, everyone will die. The Night King doesn’t care about gender, so I think it’s only fair to give everyone a chance to defend themselves.’ She couldn’t picture it to train the girls as well. But Jon was right, if their army was too small, they’d all die. So she just nodded.

‘Is that all?’

‘Yes, that’s all.’ He reached her hand. ‘Come my Lady. We have to visit the great hall.’

Sansa grabbed his hand and stood up.

 

The hall was full with Lords and Ladies of the North. The Lords of the Vale were there too, sitting confident as always Sansa noticed. Behind the sitting Lords, Littlefinger was standing in a shadowed corner. It felt like he was there forever and was never tired of standing. His eyes grabbed Sansa’s face quickly and they made her look away. There was something about his eyes that made her feel uncomfortable. His look followed Sansa until she sat down.

 

Jon looked around the hall. He had never felt this confident. Seeing all the men who were there for the King in the North. For him. After all he was still just a bastard who had dreamed of the Wall for all his life. Now, he was about to speak as a king.

‘My Lords, my Ladies.’ He said with a higher voice than he used to. Everyone grabbed his attention and looked at their king.

‘I collected you here for an important case. We have to be prepared for the Long Night as it arrives. I might not be a Stark but I have heard all my life about winter’s arrival. Winter is coming.’ He said with a lower voice. Sansa felt goosebumps on her body.

‘I saw him.’ He continued. ‘I saw the Night King. Some of you were with me and saw how he brought the dead back to life.’ He looked at the wildlings and saw the fear in their eyes which they tried to hide. ‘But most of you can’t even imagine what we saw. This isn't just a tale that you used to hear in beds when you were children. This is what is coming. The Great War is coming. And we have to fight however we can.’ Jon turned his head and saw ser Davos’ smiling face. He was proud.

After a quick silence, Jon stated.

‘There are thousands of them. We can’t fight this war without every one of us trained and ready. We need to be prepared. Until this day only men and boys could fight the wars. They were the ones who were given a chance to be trained. From now every girl and boy will learn to fight.’ He finished and looked at little Lyanna Mormont, who was sitting with a proud smile on her small face. That little, yet strong lady had always impressed Jon.

Jon looked down at Sansa and saw her neutral face that turned into a happy once as he looked at her.

Sansa looked at Lord Baelish. She saw his grey-green eyes shining in the light of candles. She saw his little smirk that seemed innocent, yet was so dangerous.


	2. Chapter 2

Sansas attention shifted back to Jon, who, after dismissing Lord Glovers objection against training the girls with Lady Mormont's help, was now talking about the importance of dragon glass in their fight against the long night.

"I want every maester to scour their records for any mention of dragonglass. It kills White Walkers and is therefore more valuable to us now than gold. We need to find it, we need to mine it, we need to make weapons from it. Otherwise we won't have a chance against them.", he ended, his firm scowl in place as always.

She looked around to see many approving nods from the northern lords and Wildlings, as well as a few still doubting glances from the Vale men. She couldn't blame them. What Jon was telling them sounded like the horror story that was used to scare them as children.

Her half-brother was determined though and continued straight away. "While preparing for attack we need to shore up our defenses.", he declared loudly. "The only thing standing between us and the army of the Dead is The Wall and The Wall hasn't been properly manned in centuries." His view wandered to the Wildling group, sitting at the end of the hall. "I'm not the King of the Free Folk.." His pause caused Tormund Giantsbane to look at him. He gave Jon a questioning glance which caused him to continue. "..but if we're going to survive this winter together.."

The Wildling leader rose from his bench at those words. "Ah!", he exclaimed in that rough voice of his. "You want us to men the castles for you." It wasn't a question but a statement. One which Jon didn't contradict.

His agreement was a simple "Aye." He looked at the ground for a short moment before speaking again. "The last time we saw the Night King was at Hardhome. The closest castle to it is Eastwatch by the sea."

Tormund nodded. "Than that's where I'll go." He turned to the northern lords with that special mocking grin of his. "Looks like we're the Night's Watch now." Lord Glover looked like he was about to draw his sword. Luckily, the Wildling decided that his comment had been enough and turned back to his original place where he sat down and was greeted by several of his companions clapping him happily on the back.

Sansa had watched the encounter with a troubled expression. The Free Folk was clearly having trouble getting along with the "Southerners", as they liked to call them. Especially the Vale men were still having problems accepting that they all fought on the same side now.

She could feel Jon tense beside her and caught him giving her a quick side-glance. She knew what he was about to announce next. He coughed before continuing. "If they breach The Wall the first two castles in their path are Last Hearth and Karhold."

Lord Royce rose at those words, a grim expression darkening his face. "The Karstarks and The Umbers betrayed the North. Their castles should be torn down with not a stone left standing."

While Sansa admired the older man's spirit, she knew this wasn't the right way to handle things. Her eyes found Jon's who had turned to her. He gave her a quick nod, giving the permission to talk. "The castles committed no crime and we need every fortress we have for the war to come." She stopped. She had been about to say that they should give the castles to northern families who fought for them in the battle against Ramsay but then she remembered the talk with Jon earlier in her chambers.

She still didn't agree with him. Was there no reward for the loyal families that supported them? No punishment for those who betrayed them? But Jon was their King and his opinions were those who counted. A little nudge in her side startled her and she looked back at her half-brother who was staring at her in question. She gave him an apologetic smile and finished her statement. "King Jon has therefore made a decision which he believes to be the best way to handle this situation."

"Right.", he continued with his gruff voice. "Karhold and The Last Hearth will be given back to The Houses Umber and Karstark." Loud murmuring was erupting even before he got to the end of the sentence. Lord Royce, still standing, was about to protest by way he had narrowed his eyes but Jon gave him no time. His voice grew louder than usual with his next words.

"I will not punish a son for his father's crimes and I will not take a family home away from a family it has belonged to for centuries.", he repeated the exact words he had told her earlier and met the glares of several Lords without so much as a flinch and even though Sansa didn't support this move she still admired how he stood up for his actions.

"That is my decision and my decision is final.", he ended, his voice lowering again. Yohn Royce gave a last displeased huff before sitting back down. Jon called the little Ned Umber (which almost made Sansa laugh giving the reputation his House usually had) and Alys Karstark in front of him. While they were pledging themselves to him Sansa chanced a look in the dark corner to her right.

He was watching her. Of course he was for what else had he ever done during times like this? Lord Baelish had been very quiet during the whole meeting so far but thinking about it, it wasn't that much of a surprise actually. He always prefered to listen to people talk, to listen to them spilling out their secrets unintentionally. That was how he could get to them the best.

Lord Ned and Lady Alys finished their oaths and were greeted by a rare smile on Jon's face. The two walked back to the end of the hall, even receiving a few encouraging words from some Lords. Then The King turned completely stiff.

"There is one last thing I want to discuss today." Sansa turned her head to him. What did he talk about? He hadn't talked to her about anything else. On her half-brothers right she could see Ser Davos's confused expression. So he didn't know what Jon was planning as well. How odd, she thought. Davos had become his right hand man. It was unusual for him not to know about the plans of The King in The North.

"We still haven't discussed the reward for The Lords of the Vale and Lord Arryn regarding their help in the fight against Ramsay Bolton.", he started stiffly, his voice strained. "Without their help we all wouldn't be here right now." Then he turned to his right. "Lord Baelish." Even though he tried to conceal it, Sansa could still hear the clear disgust in those two words.

The man himself stayed in place, leaning against the wall with the usual hint of a smirk set on his face. The only indication that he actually heard Jon was the raising of one of his eyebrows.

Sansa noticed Jon's left hand balling into a fist for half a second. Apparently, he had expected more than this dismissive gesture. "Since Lord Robin isn't here and you are the Lord Protector of the Vale.." He shut his eyes for a moment, the words clearly paining him. "..you will be acting as Lord of the Vale in this situation."

The hall could have been set in complete darkness and one still had been able to see Littlefingers' eyes sparkling at those words. He pushed himself of the cold wall with grace only few men Sansa knew possessed. "You honor me beyond words, Your Grace." His green-grey eyes flickered to her at those last two words. For some reason she couldn't name it sent a shiver down her spine. "I hope I can faithfully answer your questions and truthfully speak in the Lord's regards."

Sansa narrowed her eyes at him. Did he really think someone would fall for his false courtesy? She wasn't about to let him get away with his position so easily. "Tell us, Lord Baelish: What makes you think that you can talk on the behalf of Lord Robin's wishes and demands?"

The small man regarded her with an amused expression, his head slightly dropping to the side. "I can assure you, Lady Sansa, that I have the highest knowledge of my son's intentions and wishes.", he almost purred the words. "Step-son.", she corrected him coldly. "And I have no doubt that you know all about his intentions. The question is if yours are the same."

The response was a smirk on his part. From her place she could see Yohn Royce glaring daggers into Lord Baelish's back. The Lord though didn't seem to notice the death-stares he was receiving from almost everyone around him or it just didn't bother him. Probably the latter.

"Are you accusing me of ignoring the Lord's orders in favour of my own, My lady?" He looked at her provocatively. "Correct me if I am wrong but wouldn't that be treason, Lady Sansa? The highest of treason even? So tell me now, My Lady, are you accusing me of treason against the ruler of the Vale?"

"Enough." Jon's angry voice stopped the conversation before it could get out of hand. Littlefinger quickly bowed his head. "Forgive me, Your Grace." His grey eyes narrowed at the still smirking man, who didn't look like he was sorry at all. Was everything just a game to him?

"You won't question my sister again, Lord Baelish, and you'll answer everything she asks of you." Her half-brother shook with barely concealed anger. “Do you understand?”

He gave another bow, deeper this time, even more mocking in Sansa’s eyes. “I understand, Your Grace. I’m sorry.” His green-grey eyes locked on her’s. “Now, I think we were talking about the reward.” For the second time that evening, his gaze managed to send a shiver down her spine.

“Lord Robin’s reward, yes. For his aid in our moment of greatest weakness.” Jon made a little hand gesture, signaling Lord Baelish to step directly in front of the high table. “So tell me then, what is it that The Lord desires? You may ask anything of me that he requires and if it is in my power to give, it is his.”

“I was lucky enough to speak with Lord Robin before the army left and he made a suggestion that I think will be more than sufficient.”, the little man started, bringing his hands behind his back. “His price is modest, some might even say.”

“How about you tell us then?” Jon clearly had lost the nerve to listen to his pathetic talking games and cut the Lord Protector off. Sansa smirked at that.

He pouted his lips quickly, a rare action of his and nodded. “As you wish, Your Grace.” He turned around to face the people seated in the hall. “All he wants in return is The King in the North and his loyal followers to promise him that they will rush to his defence, if need be. Furthermore, he made it clear to me that he does not wish to become part of The North. The Vale will stay independent since our Lord is no longer loyal to Queen Cersei.”

His request was met with quiet hushes from the northern people while the Vale men shot them suspicious looks. Her half-brother’s fist made contact with the table, silencing the hall once again. “So he suspects The North to come to his aid when he needs it but doesn’t want to be a part of it?”, he asked, furrowing his brows.

The Lord Protector turned towards him again and smiled. “He does.” He lifted his hands holding them open in front of him. “Forgive me for saying this, but isn’t the definition of a reward that one doesn’t have to give anything back in return?”

“Aye, it is.”, he agreed and turned his head to look at her. “What do you think?” Was he really asking her opinion on an important matter like this? Then she understood. He wanted to know if what Lord Baelish was saying was really what Robin wanted or if The Lord Protector was only fulfilling his own dreams. _‘You know him better than me. Tell me.’_ , his eyes seemed to scream.

Did she though? Did she really know him? Honestly, she couldn’t tell. But what she did know was that while the first request could have easily been Robin’s command, the second one could not. The boy was barely able to clean his nose, there was no way he could think about something as the importance of independence for the Vale. However, if Lord Baelish had manipulated him into actually saying this or had just now stated this request without mentioning it to The Lord at all she wasn’t able to say.

She felt torn. She could call him out, claim that Robin would have never wanted this and the Vale men, well at least Yohn Royce, would probably support her and therefore cause him a lot of trouble. But he knew this, didn’t he?

She looked at him and noticed that his attention, just like everyone else’s, was fixed on her. His lips, having been curled into a smirk seconds ago, were set in a straight line now. His face didn’t indicate any form of terror or fear, no, it almost looked like he was curious, curious for her answer. What the hell was he playing at?  

Her silence must have lasted less than a few seconds but with his gaze upon her it always felt like ages to Sansa. Something about his eyes seemed to almost bond her to him. She turned back to Jon.

“I think this token is more than acceptable to show our gratitude to Lord Robin.” She didn’t know who she surprised more with her words, Jon or herself, but with her statement the arrangement was settled. Littlefinger let his trademark smirk break out on his face before bowing one last time. “Thank you, _Your Grace_. My step-son will be very pleased to her that his conditions have been accepted.” Then he retreated back to the shadows from which he had come.

Jon had gone completely rigid. She knew why. His last statement, his last thanks, had been directed at her and not him.

-

Sansa knew he would come to her before the day ended. The meeting had ended rather quickly after the deal with the Vale was completed and he hadn’t spoken one word to her since then. So she spent the rest of her day in her chambers, sewing and waiting for him to calm his rage and talk to her.

The knock on her door was expected but when she opened it she was greeted by Lady Brienne’s face. She looked less than pleased, her face constricted and eyes narrowed. She lead her inside and took a seat in her favourite chair near the fireplace. “Brienne, what can I do for you this evening?”, Sansa asked and raised her eyebrows. “I hope it’s not because of Tormund. Has he been troubli-”

“Of course not, My lady.”, came the quick reply. “And believe me, even if he did, I know quite well how to defend myself.” She held her head high and straightened her back. Sansa had to smile at that, she didn’t doubt it for one second.

“So why are you here then? Is there a problem?” Brienne regarded her with a an expression that came close to concern. “I wanted to talk with you about Lord B-”

“Sansa, I need to talk with you ab-” Jon came rushing through the door, just as Brienne was about to finish her sentence, his long coat flying behind him. His voice died once he noted that his sister wasn’t alone.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company. If you wish, I can return later.” He looked uncomfortable and was about to turn around again but Sansa stopped him with her words.

“No Jon, it’s alright. Lady Brienne and I can finish this conversation later.” She looked at the tall woman, the statement dismissing her.

“Of course, my lady. I will talk to you later.” She turned to Jon and bowed. “Your Grace.” Then she was gone, the door closed behind her. Sansa looked at her half-brother who stood in the middle of the room. She could see that he was calmer now, but there was still a dark look etched upon his northern face.

“I was expecting you.”, she stated offering him the chair next to her. He didn’t move. “You did?”, he questioned, wringing his hands together. “So you know what I want to discuss with you?”

She sighed. “I do.” Reaching for the wine bottle located on the table in front of her, she poured herself a glass and leaned back taking a small sip. Her needlework lay forgotten beside her.

“So, do you want to start by explaining yourself?” Sansa almost choked on her wine. “Excuse me?”, she asked after a few moments of helpless coughing.

The blush that appeared almost instantly on his face showed her that he was regretting his choice of words. “I didn’t mean.. What I really wanted to imply..” He let out a frustrated sigh and she only now noticed how exhausted he looked. “What were you thinking?”

It sounded akin to accusing but she understood that he just didn’t know how to express himself better. Emotions had never been his biggest skill. “I thought you asked me about my opinion in that matter?” He nodded and started pacing around the room. “I did. I just.. I expected a different answer.” He came to a stop in front of her, all the while still refusing to sit down.

She regarded him with a cold stare and raised the glass back to her lips. “I figured as much.” He looked lost, one hand going to his hair and messing it up effectively.

“Look, I am not here to judge your decision. You know him better than me. _I trust you._ ” His eyes locked with hers at the last sentence and she could see the truth in them. “I just wanted to ask if you could explain-”

“Explain what, Jon? Why I decided to accept his request?” He looked at the floor and murmured an agreement. She placed her empty glass on the table before answering. “Listen, we both know that those were his demands and not Robin’s. He clearly wants to keep his control over the Vale and doesn’t want to lose it to you. But right now this isn’t important. You said so yourself, the war against the Dead is all that counts and-.”

“To you, you mean.”, he cut her off mid-sentence.

Sansa looked at him in confusion. “Pardon?”

Jon lifted his head again and stared at her. “He doesn’t want to lose the Vale to you.” His whole body was tense and she could swear that she detected a twinge of jealousy in his eyes. And then she understood. “This isn’t about the reward for the Vale, is it?” Her question was met with silence.

“Is it, Jon?” He turned away from her and walked to the window, gazing out of it for a few seconds, completely lost to his surrounding. “Why didn’t you correct him?”

She stood up slowly and walked over to him. “Because it didn’t mean anything. The last thing we need is to cause unimportant problems.” He didn’t turn towards her but kept staring out in the white.

“Unimportant? He undermined me.“ She reached out to lightly touch his arm. “He didn’t. He only-” She was cut off again by him turning towards her abruptly and startling her in the process.

“He only what? Only disrespected me in front of all the northern Lords? Not to mention the Vale men and the Free Folk.” Her hand was still resting on his arm and he softly placed it back at her side before resuming his pacing. “I want him gone. Lord Protector or not, he causes nothing but trouble.”

“He likes to play with people, Jon. He likes to get under their skin. That’s what he always does.”, she tried to explain. He needed to understand Lord Baelish if he wanted to stay out of his reach. A overreaction like that was clearly what Littlefinger wanted to happen and she couldn’t let him get away with it, couldn’t let him affect her half-brother like that. Her efforts were clearly lost on him though, as he was doing nothing but shaking his head in disagreement. “I don’t care. I want him gone.”

Sansa sighed. “Sent him away and he will go straight to Robin to convince him to take his Vale men back. We have no choice, Jon. If you want to keep the Vale you need to keep him.” She looked at him. “And I don’t understand how he undermines you by addressing me as Lady of Winterfell.” That made him stop dead in his tracks. He swirled around, his face gaining a light red colour.

“Lady of Winterfell? He called you ‘Your Grace’ if I remember correctly. A title used to address a King.” _‘Or a Queen’_ , Sansa thought.

“And I am King in the North. I didn’t ask for it, the Lord’s gave me this burden but now I am.. and I try my best to continue Robb’s legacy and...” He looked so lost, so hurt and exhausted. Sansa felt pity rise inside of her. All his life Jon had been forced to live in the shadows of his brothers and sisters for a mistake he didn’t do.

He didn’t ask to be born, didn’t ask to be a bastard. All his life he had been swept to the side. Now he finally had accomplished something for himself only to get put down by someone again.

Her face softened. “I understand, Jon. You know that Littlefinger chose these words carefully, fully knowing you would react the way you do now. He is dangerous, I will never deny it and he can’t be trusted but we need his support. He can’t be send away.”

Her eyes fell to the direwolf on his cloak, the direwolf she had sewed there and it caused her to smile. “You are the King and have earned everyone’s respect. Don’t try to prove yourself when you don’t have to. You don’t owe them anything, especially Lord Baelish. The North couldn’t be luckier to have you as their King.”

She could hear him release a long breath. “Thank you, Sansa.” His shoulders slumped visibly and he took a few steps towards her. “I shouldn’t have reacted like this. I’m sorry. It’s just.. All my life I had to prove myself to be a son just as worthy as Robb and I-”

“It is okay. I understand. Don’t worry, I will talk with Lord Baelish tomorrow, alright?” Jon came to a halt in front of her, his usual frown returning. “I don’t like you talking to that snake.” She laughed softly. “Lady Brienne will accompany me. I’m sure I will be fine.” He nodded at that.

“Alright.” He gave her a short hug like her father used to give her when she was younger. “I am still sorry. It won’t happen again. I promise.” He placed a gently kiss on her forehead, a gesture she was used to by now. Then he turned around and was gone in a matter of seconds.

Tomorrow she would have to talk with Lord Baelish, tomorrow she would have to make sure that he understood who was in charge here. She hadn’t lied to Jon, she really thought that he was a good king, just and honorable and no one deserved this privilege more.

It wasn’t her fault that she had felt a rush of excitement shot through her when Lord Baelish had addressed her as his queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry but I am a slut for tension and drama. Well, I guess that is why I love Petyr.
> 
> So, Jon and Sansa still have some serious problems to figure out and Petyr is still a provocative asshole but ey, it's Game of Thrones and nothing will ever be perfectly fine. (But at least in our version Jon and Sansa talk about it instead of just bashing each other during meetings)
> 
> I hope you liked the new chapter. I know, not that much Bae so far but that will change soon, I promise. I hope you all have a great weekend!


	3. Chapter 3

_Rough hands were holding her down, her face painfully pressed into a soft mattress and even though the warm fur tickling her face should be comforting it caused nothing but panic and distress._

_The hands grasping her shoulders slowly wandered down her backside and horror pulsed through every vein of her body when she felt her dress getting ripped open, the cold air swishing over her back, finding a way in every part of her and freezing her to the bone._

_Somewhere in between all of this she must have screamed, she must have pleaded for help but no one answered, no one came. Her eyes watered but the tears were lost almost immediately in the fur underneath her. It was better that way, no one should see her weak._  

_By now, her complete back was exposed but the hands didn’t stop, no, they wandered, down and down they went, and continued ripping and tearing her dress apart. A cruel laugh emitted from behind her and it send a shiver down her spine._

_She tried to fight him but he was so much stronger than her and all his weight rested on her mercilessly pushing her further in the cushion and successfully blocking her breathing. It went on for an eternity, nothing but the constant tearing and ripping, tearing and ripping..._

Sansa awoke with a scream. Her heart was beating so loudly in her chest, she feared someone would hear it and wake up (if they hadn’t been awake already thanks to her screaming). Air was rushing in and out of her lungs in an alarming rate and she tried desperately to calm herself down.

The nightmares had remarkedly lessened since Ramsay’s death but no matter what she did the memory of him and the things he did to her wouldn’t vanish completely. The fear that had took a hold of her body only seconds ago was replaced by hot, white rage.

By the old gods and the new, Ramsay was dead, eaten alive by his own dogs. There was no reason why she should still be scared. She was home, with Jon as king, surrounded by people who would give their life’s for her house without a second thought. She was surrounded by good people, loyal people- well maybe not all of them.

A knock on her door startled her. Hastily, she scrambled out of the bed and was hit by the cold night air. Refusing to put on something more warm, she simply pulled her nightgown tighter around herself and reached for the door handle.

She carefully opened the heavy door, only a crack so she wasn’t exposed if it was just some guard who heard her scream. The striking grey-green eyes that awaited her on the other side made her want to groan in annoyance. Was he constantly observing her? It was more like stalking, actually.

Refusing to invite him in, Sansa simply stood there, the door blocking everything except her head. “Is something troubling you, Lord Baelish?” He smirked at her but, like always, it didn’t reach his eyes. No, she actually thought to see a flash of concern pass over his face before he seemed to catch himself. 

“Forgive me, Lady Sansa, but you most likely woke the entire castle with that scream of yours. I just wanted to make sure you were unharmed and safe.” His reply rolled easy of his tongue, the mask that hid his emotions in place as always, and she wanted to curse at him for it.

Her eyes wandered down his body and only now she noticed that he still wore his normal clothes. Seeming to only to having get rid off his thick winter coat, he was now clad in his typical gold robe. It was past the hour of the wolf, did he ever go to bed?

Looking back into his face she gave him a fake smile. “I’m so sorry to have disturbed you this late in the night, Lord Baelish. Excuse me for not being able to control myself. It won’t happen again.” Her dry comment seemed to get to him for he dropped his smirk and a look akin to regret took hold of him.

“Don’t concern yourself with thinking about disturbing me, My lady.” He cocked his head to the side. “May I ask if those dreams that obviously cause you distress have anything to do with-”

“You may not.”, Sansa cut him off abruptly. She really didn’t want to think about it anymore. Her sharp answer was all the confirmation he needed though, nodding slowly and giving her a forced smile. “Of course, My lady. Forgive me for asking.”

His eyes found hers again and she froze. This was the perfect opportunity to confront him, to call him out on his obvious provocations towards Jon. But this wasn’t how she imagined it. She wanted to do it when she had the upper hand. But now, he had invaded her space, caught her in a vulnerable moment. He needed to leave. Now.

Forcing herself to remain calm she stared back, challenging him. “I’m sorry Lord Baelish but I hope you understand that I am not in a mood to talk right now. It is rather late and, other than some people,” She meaningfully glanced down his still perfectly clothed form “I need some rest in the night.”

His smirk returned to his face and he chuckled quietly, a rough and dark sound emitting from his chest. “I understand, Lady Sansa. Are you sure that you don’t need any-” For the second time this night Lord Baelish got interrupted in the middle of a question. This time, however, it wasn’t from her. 

“My lady, I heard you scream and came here as quickly as possi-” Brienne had just rounded the corner leading to Sansa’s chambers and now found herself next to Lord Baelish , who looked more than displeased about her sudden arrival, judging by the look he gave her. 

Her sworn knight didn’t look happy either, her face had scrunched up in anger and disgust the moment she had laid eyes on the little man next to her. Her hand wandered to the handle of her impressive valyrian sword, gripping it tightly. “Is something wrong, My lady?” Her voice was tight with badly concealed anger. 

Sansa noticed that she also still wore her undoubtedly heavy armour, including her sword. _Seven hells_ , she thought, _is no one in this damn castle sleeping?_  

“Everything is fine.”, Sansa quickly affirmed before the man in front of her ended up with a sword sliced through him. Her statement didn’t manage to convince the tall woman and she continued to stare holes into Littlefinger.

The man in question barely acknowledged the new intruder and quickly turned back to her. “What I wanted to say before I was interrupted is: Is there anything I can do for you, Lady Sansa?” The words barely left his mouth before Brienne spoke. “I think you did quite enough already, don’t you think, Littlefinger?”

He eyes darted towards her for a second before settling back on Sansa. Without looking at the knight he answered her. “My question was directed towards the Lady of Winterfell, not her loyal dog.” That caused the blonde woman to take a threatening step towards him.

“ _How dare you?! You filthy slimy_ -” Sansa decided it was time to stop this. “Enough.” She was surprised at how loud and clear the command left her mouth. “I don’t want any of you to cause more trouble for Jon- _King Jon_ than he already has.”

Brienne had stopped immediately at her words and gave a quick nod of understanding. Lord Baelish on the other hand had simply raised a eyebrow at it but he also kept quiet. Too tired for more of this, she simply waved a hand dismissively at both of them.

“We will talk later. Go back to your chambers, the both of you, for now.” She looked at Littlefinger again and hardened her gaze. “Lord Baelish, perhaps you could join me for dinner tomorrow. There is something I wish to discuss with you.”

His gray-green pools lit up at that and he gave a deep bow. “It would be my pleasure, Lady Sansa. Rest easy, you are home now.” He turned around, gave her knight a cunning smile and a quick “My lady.” and continued to retreat to his chambers on the other end of the long corridor.

Brienne had gone pale at her demand but, to her credit, she waited with questioning her until the Lord Protector was out of sight. “Lady Sansa, I must strongly advise you that this is not a good idea.” She gave her a helpless look. “I mean, Littlefinger is- he is..”

Sansa held up her hand, causing silence to take hold of her. “I know exactly what he is, Brienne.” She stifled a yawn that threatened to break out. “But I have no power, nor the desire, to explain it to you right now. We will talk tomorrow as well.” With that she closed the door again, leaving her trustworthy knight frustrated on the other side of it.

Shivering, the cold had started to creep into her bones a while ago, she slipped back into bed, desperately trying to forget all the problems the next morning would bring with it.

-

She was making her way through the courtyard when she came across Lord Royce, who was currently attempting to train a group of young northern children. Sansa didn’t know how she felt about the scene she was witnessing. 

Those kids couldn’t be older than fifteen, they weren’t meant to prepare for war at that age. But then again, the long night and pain didn’t discriminate between the young and old. Once it arrived, everyone would be in danger.

The older man smiled at her when he noticed that she was watching. She gave a short nod in return and what she hoped to be a grateful smile before continuing her way inside the castle, greeting many other Lords on her way to Jon.

She found her half-brother waiting for her in the great hall. The giant room was empty except for the king and Lord Davos, who appeared to be in a deep conversation. Jon’s grey eyes left his advisor and found hers when she was halfway through the hall.  

Lord Davos also raised his head once he noticed that the king’s attention had shifted from the discussion. He raised quickly and gave her a nod of acknowledgement. “My lady.” She greeted him back before joining Jon’s side.

“You wanted to speak to me?” Her half-brother nodded, his face grim. He rose slowly and turned back to Davos, his hand outstretched. Only now Sansa noticed the little piece of paper in the onion knight’s hand. He placed it in his king’s opened palm and gave a final bow. “Your grace.” With that he left.

She looked at Jon questioningly. He gave her a short smile (or probably what he hoped would look like a smile but had more similarity to a grimace) and walked around her. “Come on.” His voice sounded rougher than usual. “I want to look how the training is going.”

Being a loyal sister, she, of course, followed him, the question about the small letter still flying around in her head. The way he was acting wasn’t a good indication. Together, they made their way through the castle and soon found themselves observing the courtyard and the ongoing training there.

The young children were still there even though Lord Royce was nowhere to be seen. Lord Glover had taken over the training and was currently attempting to show a girl how to hold a sword properly. Her arm was barely half the size of the sword so she had problems keeping it up.

Sansa watched with growing doubt. These children couldn’t defeat a normal person, how would they be able to defend themselves from dead monsters? Beside her, Jon was witnessing the same scene. Without taking his eyes from the training men and women he began speaking to her.

“They’re making progress.” She turned her head towards him, a disbelieving look on her face. Was he serious? He sighed audibly and continued staring in the distance, refusing to look at her. “I know you don’t approve of this but there is no other way. We need every men and women for this war.”

She agreed with him but “These aren’t fighters Jon. These aren’t soldiers. These aren’t even real men and women. These are _children_.” He shook his head stubbornly. “I was nothing more than a child when I joined the Night’s Watch.”

That surprised her. He normally didn’t talk about his past at the wall anymore. “But that is something different. Ser Rodrik trained you since you were a little boy and you had Robb to help as well. Most of these children down there are farmers sons and daughters. They probably never held a sword in their hands before.”

A smile appeared on his face and he chuckled quietly. “What?”, she asked confused. He looked down at his feet. “Tyrion Lannister said almost the exact same to me when I talked about my Night’s Watch brothers.” His eyes clouded over. “I thought they all were a hopeless cause. One of them ended up killing a giant while protecting the wall.”

His voice was full of grief. Sansa didn’t know what to say. “I didn’t know that.”, she answered carefully. He looked up again, eyes casted at the ongoing training. “How could you? I never told you about it before. All I wanted to say with that is that you need to have more faith in the people down there. They might not be good fighters at the moment but I believe that they can learn. Just like my brothers did.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “Of course. I’m sorry I doubted your decision, Jon.” He turned to her quickly. “Don’t say that. You can always talk to me about your doubts. Now,”, He held the parchment from earlier up in the air. “I am sure you want to know what it says.” He nodded towards it. “Go on, read it.”

Taking the letter from him and carefully unfolding it, she was greeted by the lion that had haunted her dreams for so many years.

 

**Cersei of House Lannister, First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, summons the rebel and bastard Jon Snow to King’s Landing, to bend the knee to his rightful Queen or suffer the fate of all traitors.**

 

“Queen of the seven kingdoms..” She stared at the command in her hands and then back to her half-brother. “Tommen is dead.” Jon was looking at her with a blank expression. “Aye. Do you think she kill-” She cut him off before he could finish his question.

“No, she might be a monster but if there is one thing she values more than power it is her children.” She read the letter again. “It doesn’t matter, what matters is that we have been so consumed with the enemy to the north we have forgotten about the one to the south.”

He started walking again with her following close behind, still waiting for an answer on his part. They came to a halt above the gate, with him looking over the walls of Winterfell. “I’m consumed with the Night King because I’ve seen him. And believe me, you’d think of little else if you had to.”

At this point she was sure he was developing something close to an obsession with the army of the dead. Of course, this threat was a priority but he couldn’t ignore the other dangers the north had to face.

“We still have a wall between us and the Night King. There is nothing between us and Cersei, Jon.” His response was immediate. “There is a thousand miles between us and Cersei. Winter is here, the Lannisters are a southern army, they never ranged this far north.”

Normally, she would agree with him but they weren’t talking about some displeased ruler, they were talking about Cersei Lannister. “You’re the military man but I know her.” That caused him to lock eyes with her. “And?”

“If you’re her enemy she will never stop until she’s destroyed you. Everyone who has ever crossed her she’s found a way to murder.”, she explained. Jon observed her, seeming to be lost in his thoughts. He looked somehow strange, was something wrong?

Then, after a long moment of silence. “It almost sounds as if you admire her.” She was slightly taken aback by that accusation, until she thought about it again and realized that it was true to a certain point.

“I learned a great deal from her, yes, and you have to admit that, for someone without real allies, she managed to do quite well for herself so far.” He made a disagreeing noise and lifted his gloved hands, brushing the freshly fallen snowflakes from his shoulders.

Sansa knew that further discussing it would lead to no resolution so she tried to end it. “Well, we at least agree that you won’t go to King’s Landing, right?” He let out a huff. “Do you take me for a fool?”, he asked, warmth creeping back in his voice.

“Listen, if you really think Cersei is that kind of danger I’ll keep my eyes on the south but the army of the Dead is still my biggest concern right now.” Well, that certainly was something at least. She smirked at him. “That is acceptable, Your Grace.”

She regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. His entire body stiffened and his eyes darkened. “Have you talked with Lord Baelish already?” He practically spat the name out. She’d never seen her half-brother so disgusted with someone or something, not even Ramsay.

She answered by shaking her head. “No but Lady Brienne should arrive any moment to escort me to him.” His eyes narrowed. “It’s almost dinner time. We are expected in the great hall.” Sansa shook her head again, trying to suppress her upcoming annoyance with his judging tone.

“Lord Baelish and I will be having dinner in my chambers tod-” “No.” His voice rose and came dangerously close to screaming. He coughed quietly before speaking again. “No you won’t.”

“Jon.” She touched his arm again, just like she had yesterday evening, hoping to calm him down. “Please, Jon. I know what I am doing. Brienne will be with me and Littlefinger won’t be able to do anything inside the walls of Winterfell anyway. He knows you’d have his head before he could do so much as breathe.”

He took several long breaths before he collected himself. “Alright. I trust you with this but if he does as much as touch you I swear to the old gods, I’ll-” She laughed softly and finished the sentence for him. “- behead him, yes, I understand. Don’t worry, he is smart enough to know that himself.”

“What a shame.”, he grumbled quietly. His eyes focused on something behind her. “It appears that your escort has arrived.” She turned around to see Brienne making her way towards them, Podrick trailing along behind her.

Sansa looked back at Jon, waiting for him to dismiss her. He was a king now after all. Once he noticed it he gave her a small playful shove while telling her to watch out for herself. She promised to report the outcome of the talk to him as soon as possible.

Soon enough she found herself walking beside Brienne to the corridors of her home on her way to her chambers. “Is Lord Baelish there already?” Her question was answered with a firm nod. “He is awaiting you in your chambers, My lady.”

The tall woman’s pace slowed. “My lady, if you may allow- a word?” Sansa sighed inwardly. Of course she wouldn’t drop the topic. “Of course, Brienne. What is bothering you?” Her sworn sword cleared her throat, obviously uncomfortable.

“I imagine that this…” She paused to search for the right word. “..meeting is some plan of yours to get answers from Littlefinger but please, my lady, I beg you to reconsider it.” At this point the constant doubt everyone was showing towards her actions started to seriously annoy her.

She wasn’t some blind, naive fool with no common sense. She knew what she was doing, especially when it came to Lord Baelish and his little games. Yes, she didn’t really know him or his schemes he was performing at the moment but she was the best way, the only way even, to maybe get answers from him.

Maintaining a perfectly calm expression on her face Sansa answered. “I am grateful for your worry towards me, Brienne, I really am. But this is my home and I won’t back down from anyone, especially not Lord Baelish.” She didn’t intend for her voice to gain such an defensive tone towards the end of her sentence.

The woman beside her looked at her with a mix of admiration and worry. “Of course, Lady Sansa, forgive me for objecting.” She straightened her back. “And Littlefinger won’t be able to do anything with me by your side.”

The next part of this conversation would be tricky, she decided. “You won’t be joining us.” Brienne stopped dead in her tracks. “Lady Sansa?” Sansa continued to walk slowly down the hallway. “You heard me.”

Ther steps behind her indicated that the female knight had found her footing again. She was back at her side in an instant. “I’m sorry, My lady, but I can’t let that happen. I won’t leave you alone with Littlefinger, never. Your brother would have my head if he found out.”

“That’s why we won’t mention it to Jon.”, she explained smoothly. She didn’t like to lie to Jon but how did he expect her to get answers from Lord Baelish with Brienne lurking behind her like an overprotective dog? “I need him to feel safe in order to open up and show his cards. I won’t accomplish that with you by my side.”, she continued to explain.

“I must tell you that I don’t approve of this, My lady.” Sansa saw that she still looked at her in doubt. She lifted her head and looked the much bigger woman unflinchingly in the eye. “You don’t have to, you simply have to obey my command.”

She didn’t like to boss her around like this, especially after all she had done for her in the past but if she simply refused to accept her reasoning, this was the only way. The look of hurt that crossed Lady Brienne at her words caused her to recoil slightly. But at least the message appeared to get to her.

“As you command, Lady Sansa.” The rest of their walk was covered in an uneasy silence, the woman beside her clearly displeased about her plan. Even though Sansa wasn’t happy about this it was necessary. She wouldn’t leave her chambers without some answers, some valid answers.

Once they arrived at her door she bid Brienne goodbye, telling her that her service wouldn’t be needed anymore for the day. She could see that the woman opposite of her was on the verge of saying something but then seemed to think better of it and simply bowed before taking her leave.

Standing in front of her door, Sansa only now realized that it might have been a bad idea to leave Lord Baelish alone in her chambers without supervision. He could have snooped around in her room, through her stuff and she probably wouldn’t see it. He was, with no doubt, great at covering his tracks.

She couldn’t change it now, however, so it was useless to keep drawing out worst case scenarios in her mind. Sansa took a deep breath, reached for the door handle and twisted it open

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are so sorry that it took so long to update but I have some serious problems with my PC at the moment. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you like the new chapter. Yes, I know, not that much Petyr again but I promise it will change soon. We just need to get this plot going. 
> 
> I hope you all have a nice weekend!


	4. Chapter 4

Lord Baelish was standing in her room, his hands on the back of a chair. His mouth twisted into a smirk when she came in. 

“Lady Sansa.” Sansa closed the door behind her and entered her chambers. She felt awkward and not in place, though it were  _ her _ chambers. She hated The Lord Protector for making her feel that way. “Lord Baelish.”, she greeted him back.

“Lady Brienne won’t be joining us for dinner, I see?” Sansa was already struggling to keep herself calm. Damn him. 

“I’m happy to see your eyes work just fine. Sit down, please. We won’t eat standing up.” He smirked again and sat down on the chair he had been holding the whole time. She quickly scanned the room, but there were no signs he had been going through her stuff while waiting for her. Though of course, that didn’t mean anything. She sat down beside him.

“You wanted to talk with me?” She didn’t like the fact he was the one who asked her, she wanted to bring the subject up while they were eating, she wanted to have the power in the conversation. But Baelish was ahead of her, like always.

“Yes, that’s why I asked you to join me for dinner.”, she replied calmly. He simpered.

“And are you planning on telling me  _ why _ ? Or do I have to guess.”

“I’m sure you have some ideas already, Lord Baelish.”

“I always have.”

“So tell me your best one.”

“It’s about the reward I asked for?”, he guessed, without blinking an eye.

“ _ Robin’s  _ reward.”, she corrected sharply which earned her another upward-twist of his mouth. “And I agreed with that. No, I wanted to talk about Jon.” At that moment the door opened and the servants came with the food and drinks. She didn’t finish her sentence in front of them, since she didn’t want the whole castle to know. She quickly dismissed the servants, and started with the dinner. It looked delightful.

Her voice was strong when she stated: “Jon is our king.” He nodded at that.

“I know he is.” Sansa sighed. He was unbelievable.

“You have to stop undermining him. He is the king and you should treat him with respect. Or else he’ll send you away.”

He raised his eyebrows, an unspoken challenge. “To lose the Vale?”

“Obviously that’s the only reason you still have your head. But if you don’t stop trying to get under his skin, I can’t assure you it will stay there.”

“The Vale rode North for you, Sansa. Not for Ned Stark’s bastard son.”

“And I’m telling you to stop undermining Jon.”

“If that’s what you want.”

“That’s what I want.” She said, not as sure as she would have liked to sound. He smiled and gave her a meaningful glance. As if that was exactly what he wanted, to have her doubting Jon. And of course it was. What else could it be he was after? He didn’t even have to say it. She focused on her food again, not ready to talk.

After a while he was the first to break the silence. “So were you able to sleep again after you woke up yesterday?” He was referring to last night, when she had woken up half of the castle with her scream. His face seemed to be sincere, almost as if he really did care about her sleep routine. Sansa bit her lip, she didn’t like to be this vulnerable around him.

“Yes I did.”

“There’s nothing to be scared of here, you’re home now. And everyone here would be willing to give their lives to save yours. You are safe.” His words touched here, they sounded genuine for once, but she never knew how much of it was really true. She glanced at his eyes.

“Would you?”

And at that moment, the door opened again and the servants came to get the food. The moment they had was broken, leaving a weird feeling in her stomach.

“Is there something else you want, Lady Stark?” A servant asked. She cleared her throat. “Just some wine. And give the cooks my compliments, please.” The servant nodded and Sansa watched them get their plates and leave the room. When they had left she focused on Lord Baelish. He was ahead of her, once again.

“You sound like a Queen.” He smiled and she felt a shiver go down her spine.  _ Queen _ , it sounded good. It sounded right. Her face hardened, she knew what Littlefinger was doing here, but she still totally fell for it.

“Stop doing that.” He raised his eyebrows, and she lost it. She moved up from her chair. “You know exactly what I mean. You’re undermining Jon’s authority. I am  _ not _ the Queen in the North. Jon is the King.” Sansa could see his mouth opening in an attempt to interrupt her but she wouldn’t have any of it.  

“He deserves that title. He didn’t ask for it, but he worked hard for it. The Northern lords trust him and they are right to do so, because he is worth it. So stop getting under his skin, stop provoking him. He is the King and you should start listening to him and show some respect.” She exhaled, her voice had sounded loud and strong. 

She wished she felt as strongly about it as she just told him. He seemed ready to say something. But at that moment a servant came in with the wine. She realized she was still standing up and she sat down immediately. The servant was gone in no time. 

Lord Baelish brought his wine to his lips and took a sip, slowly. “And you don’t deserve it? You are the only living child of Ned and Catelyn Stark. Jon  _ Snow _ is some motherless bastard. Why does he deserve it more than you do?” Sansa also took her time to answer him, choosing her words carefully.

“And since when,”, she stated, glancing explicitly to his mockingbird pin, his self-made sigil. “do you care so much for birthright, rather than hard work?” He smirked and replied: “But why would he deserve it more than you do?” She couldn’t answer him, not directly.

“Because the Northern lords choose Jon as their King, not me. There is no point in fighting him and creating chaos, we need to be a united front in the war to come.” His eyes lit up at her words, although she didn’t know why exactly. Her head hurt and her mind was too tired to continue their conversation.

“I am tired, Lord Baelish. I’m going to get ready for bed.” She sighed and he nodded, their wine glasses were still half full, but she really felt sleepy. Not to mention the fact that she was done with the conversation and ashamed for questioning Jon.

“I will leave you alone,My Lady. I hope you will be able to sleep well.” He walked to the door. “Oh, and Lady Sansa? I would.”, he added, before leaving the room. She let herself fall down on a nearby chair, wondering what he had meant. It took her a few seconds before she realized he was referring to their conversation, before the servants had interrupted them.

_ “..And everyone here would be willing to give their lives to save yours. You are safe.” _

_ “Would you?” _

She went through her hair with one hand. She had a lot to think about, and tomorrow she would have to tell Jon.

***

Sansa had just finished her breakfast when she was walking through the courtyard of the castle. She didn’t really had a purpose, she just liked walking through her home. She had missed it so much when she was a hostage in Kings Landing. She didn’t want to miss any second of it now.

Sansa was about to enter the Godswood when a boy held her still. “My Lady, King Jon asked me to bring you to him. There’s something he wants to discuss with you.” She followed the boy to the observation platform. Her heart felt heavy, was there something wrong? Or was he just too curious about her talk with Lord Baelish from the last evening.

Jon and Davos were standing on the platform, in a scenario that was similar to what she interrupted the other day. Under them, in the courtyard, she could see boys and girls training with a bow.

“Ah, Sansa.” Jon walked to her when he noticed her. “I’m glad you could come so soon. There’s something we need to discuss.” He had a serious look on his face. He pressed another letter in her hand. “I just got this.” She took the letter and quickly ran her eyes through it.

**Queen Daenerys Targaryen, First of Her Name, invites you to Dragonstone. My queen commands the combined forces of Dorne and the Reach, an Ironborn fleet, legions of Unsullied, a Dothraki horde and three dragons. The Seven Kingdoms will bleed as long as Cersei sits on the Iron Throne. Join us. Together we can end her tyranny. I appeal to you, one bastard to another — for all dwarves are bastards in their fathers’ eyes.**

**Tyrion Lannister, Hand of the Queen**

“You think it’s really Tyrion? It could be someone trying to lure you into a trap.” She said carefully, after reading the letter. Tyrion, her husband still, since their marriage was never annulled. She didn’t miss him, but he had always been good to her and she did trust him.

“Read the last bit.”, he told her, observing the courtyard. “ _ For all dwarves are bastards in their farthers eyes. _ ”, she obeyed but not quite understanding him. “What does that mean?” 

“It’s something he said to me the first night we met.” She smiled softly, that was typical for Tyrion. A smart move, one no one would be able to fake. 

“You know him better than any of us.” He turned around to face her. “What do you think?” She truly appreciated how Jon kept asking for her opinion. It seemed like it was somehow important for him. Like he didn’t forget about her, even though she always forgot about him when they were children.

“Tyrion’s not like the other Lannisters. He was always kind to me.” She once believed Joffrey and the queen loved her as much as she loved them. They had repaid that love with her father’s head. As a little girl she was stupid enough to think her life would be like a fairytale, but she had to learn the hard way. And then they had married her to Tyrion, the imp. It may have seemed to be the worst part in the beginning, but he turned out to be the most humane of all the people in King’s Landing. “But it’s too great a risk” They couldn’t risk everything based on a letter.

“ _ The Seven Kingdoms will bleed as long as Cersei sits on the Iron Throne. Join us. Together we can end her tyranny. _ ”, she quoted. Lord Davos took the letter from her hands. “Sounds like a charmer. Of course, the casual mention of a Dothraki horde, a legion of unsullied and three dragons- a bit less charming.” His expression suddenly changed, like the Old Gods had just whispered an idea in his ears.

“What?” Jon asked, impatiently.

“Fire kills wights, you told me. What breathes fire?” Jon sighed and turned his head again.

“You’re not suggesting Jon meet with her?” She couldn’t believe her ears. How could he possible say that? The consequences were way too obvious.

“No. Too dangerous.”, the Onion Knight replied quickly, his heavy flee bottom accent making it hard to understand. She exhaled slowly.

“But?” Jon asked harsh.

“But if the Army of the Dead makes it past the Wall, do we have enough men to fight them?” Jon’s face hardened. They didn’t, and he knew it. He shook his head lightly and looked away again. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to make alliances.”, Davos continued.

“But Jon can’t go and meet her. You said so yourself, it’s too dangerous. We can’t afford to lose him.” Davos nodded, agreeing with her. “The letter says, however, nothing about bending the knee. She doesn’t want to recognize the North as an independent kingdom, does she?”, he kept on asking.

“Or Tyrion just knew Jon would never answer a summon from the Mad King’s daughter, considering what happened to our grandfather and uncle. Especially not when she commands him to bend the knee. And you wouldn’t, right?”, she asked, staring him straight in the eyes to see the truth. His eyes gave so much more away than Lord Baelish’ did. She could see his despair and hesitation. But she saw no reluctance when he replied:

“I would not bend the knee to a foreign queen.” He seemed definite.

“Not even if we need her dragon fire?”, Lord Davos asked but didn’t give him a chance to answer before continuing: “And you don’t have to bend the knee for an alliance. Just consider it.” 

Jon nodded, but Sansa wasn’t pleased. They couldn’t lose him,  _ she _ couldn’t lose him. He had to stay with her in the North. The conversation seemed to be done, and she asked Davos if she could speak with Jon alone. He agreed and left, but not without giving Jon a meaning glance.

“Jon, you can’t leave the North to meet with her. The Long Night is coming and you need to be here, with your people.” Jon sighed, sounding tired.

“I know. But we need her armies as well. And Davos was right about the dragons, they could probably burn the wights. You don’t realize how valuable they’d be for us.” He had a point, she knew he had. But so did she.

“We Northerners don’t go along with dragons. And we can’t trust her, not only based on some words of Tyrion. She’s a Targaryen, all she wants is the throne. She isn’t here to save the innocent people.” He sighed again.

“I know, Sansa. But tell me about your conversation with Lord Baelish yesterday?” She looked away from his eyes.

“I don’t know, to be honest. It’s hard to get a figure of him.”, she replied honestly.

“I thought you knew him?” Jon sounded accusing. She lifted her eyebrows. “I know him better than anyone here. And I told him to stop undermining you. But Lord Baelish will always have his own agenda.”

“I still think we should just send him away. It is not safe here with him. Like you said, he has his own agenda, and-” 

Before the idea could solidify in his head again, Sansa interrupted him.: “How much I wished we could, we can’t send him away. You know we would lose the Vale if we did, and we can’t afford that. Sending him away is no option.”

“So we will have to deal with him for some more time, great.” Jon sighed, turning away from her. “The idea of accepting this letter has just grown on me.”

***

Sansa was sitting in her room, sewing, when she heard a knock on her door. She didn’t expect anyone so she was surprised when she noticed it was Jon.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, when she invited him in her chambers. He once again didn’t sit down.

“I got another letter, from my friend Samwell Tarly, we served at the Wall together. He is currently in the Citadel to be the new maester. He discovered something about the dragonglass.” He sighed, walking a few meters, but not finishing his sentence.

“…And?” She asked, impatiently. “And he found out there is a mountain of dragonglass… on Dragonstone.”, he spoke quickly, getting the bad news out as soon as possible. Sansa froze, understanding this would mean he had to go there, to Daenerys Targaryen.

“No.” She shook her head. “You can’t.”

“Sansa..” He begged her. “I  _ have  _ to. We need allies. The Army of the Dead grows larger by the day. Daenerys has a powerful army, she has  _ dragons. _ And now it turns out Dragonstone sits on a mountain of dragonglass. We need that dragonglass. You know it can destroy both White Walkers and their army. We need to mine it and turn it into weapons.”

“Then send an emissary. Don’t go yourself.” She suggested.

“Daenerys is a queen. Only a King can convince her to help us. It has to be me. It’s not up for negotiation, I have to go.” His mind was already made up.

“If it’s not up for negotiation, why bother coming to me?”, she asked harsh, triggered by his choice of words.

“You know that’s not what I meant. I need to try and persuade her to fight with us. Ser Davos and I will ride for White Harbor the day after tomorrow, then sail for Dragonstone.” He seemed determined, but he couldn’t do this. He said he wouldn’t. She had to convince him to stay.

“Have you forgotten what happened to our grandfather? The Mad King invited him to King’s Landing, and roasted him alive.”, she reminded him. They couldn’t trust a Targaryen.

“I know that.”, he answered quietly, his eyes fixed on the ground.

“She is here to reclaim the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms. The North is one of those Seven Kingdoms. This isn’t an invitation; it’s a trap.”

“It could be, but I don’t think Tyrion would do that. You know him, he’s a good man.”

“Maybe, but Tyrion serves a queen now, which means he will do anything to give her more power. You are the King in the  _ North.  _ You can’t leave the North. You’re abandoning your people. You’re abandoning your home.”  _ You are abandoning me. _ She tried with all she had to get him to see her point. Why didn’t he just understand it?

“I’m leaving both in good hands.”, he stated.

Sansa looked at him in confusion.“Whose?” 

“Yours.” He smiled. “You are my sister. You’re the only Stark at Winterfell. Until I return, the North is yours.” She would be the Lady of Winterfell. She felt a shiver down her spine.

“That would make me…”, she started. He finished the sentence for her. “Lady of Winterfell. You deserve it, I know you will be a good ruler. You will have to prepare the North for the long night.”

“You can count on me, I will not disappoint you.” He smiled. “I know I can.” Sansa noticed how her mood had changed. The idea of Jon going to Dragonstone seemed to be a lot less unpleasant than it had earlier. But Jon was determined, she wasn’t able to get any reason into him. 

Somewhere he had a point though. They needed the dragonglass to win the war, and they also needed a larger army. The only place they could get those were at Dragonstone.

“I want to talk about Littlefinger again. I don’t like leaving you with him here.”, he expressed his concern. “I have Brienne, and a whole castle that’s loyal to me. He won’t be able to do anything, Jon. You don’t have to worry.” He nodded. “I know, but I still don’t like it. Don’t let him get to you, please.”

“I can take on Littlefinger.”, she said a bit more sure than she felt. But she had to convince Jon she was safe. And she was, she knew he wouldn’t try to do anything. Brienne would have his head immediately.

“I’m proud of you, Sansa. Of what you’ve become, what you’ve grown into. You are a strong, intelligent, independent woman. I know you can take Littlefinger, but it’s my job as a brother to worry about you. I owe that much to Robb.”, Jon said, his voice breaking almost unnoticeable when he mentioned Robb. He never spoke his emotions with so many words, and this really meant a lot to her.

“Don’t get sentimental now, this isn’t a goodbye.”, she lectured him mockingly and smiled. “I’m proud of you as well, Jon. I already told you, but I really do believe you’re a great King. You’re just and honorable and wise. You deserve this title more than anyone. I know father would be proud of you.” She walked over to him and hugged him, joy filling her when he hugged her back. “It’s only you and me now. And we will survive this.”

“Yes, we will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys,  
> sorry it took so long to post the chapter! but it's here now, we will never abandon this story.  
> so this is the first chapter i've posted (except from the little part i wrote in the first chapter) and i hope you like it!  
> also a big shoutout to my queen erja, for really helping me with this. i love you.  
> i hope you all had/have a lovely saturday!   
> xx


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